Manifolding



April 17, 1934. A. A. JOHNSON MANIFOLDING Original Filed June 10, 1929 Fig. 2.

IN V EN TOR.

Patented Apia 17,1934

MANIFOLDING Arthur A. Johnson, Bridgeport, Conn. v

ApplicationJune 10, 1929, Serial No. 369,545 Renewed September 7, 1933 v 3 Claims (o 2a2 12) This invention relates to manifolding, and more particularly, to a pile of continuous worksheet strips divided into form-lengths by lines of severance and used in makingoriginal and duplicates thereof through the intermediary of carbon strips interleaved with the worksheet strips.

Heretofore, it was proposed that all of the strips of the pile be secured together in lateral and longitudinal registration and alignment so that the pile maybe written upon as a unit. without danger of the. several strips shifting relatively. The means for accomplishing this as heretofore proposed comprised wire staples set through the pile and spaced therealong. To enable the separation of the several strips after they are written upon without requiring a separate tearing-or other operation to remove the staples, the latter were placed on the line of severance between forms of the strips so that when a set of written forms was severed from the parts of the strips yet to be written upon along the lines of severance, the staples would automatically become free of the strips and fall out.

With the staples so provided, the sheets of the pile would become separated from each other as soon as torn so that they would have to be collated and clipped together should it be desired to write on the strips after their removal from the pile. If the staple should be placed off the line ofperforations, then it would be necessary to tear the sheets from the staple or bend the legs of the staple back to their original positions to permit the subsequent separation of the strips from each other.

An object of the present invention is to provide means for holding the strips of the pile together in lateral or longitudinal alignment even after the initial writing operation is performed and the written form is severed from the forms still to be written, and yet to permit the holding means to be easily removed when it is desired to finally separate the sheets from each other and from the interleaved carbon sheets. In the preferred form of the inventiomthis is accomplished by sewing or stitching the sheets of the pile together when they are in alignment and having the stitches or threads unlocked so that a pull on an exposed end of the thread will cause the stitching to be pulled out preferably without tearing thefstrips, leaving only. the needle holes in the strips.

.This preferred form of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a pile of work-- sheets secured together according to the present v invention. a

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view of a pile of worksheets taken on the line through which the stitching passes, and showing one form of stitching which may be employed for the purpose above stated.

The improved manifolding pack of the present invention comprises a plurality of worksheet strips 10, there being three shown in the pile, 6

one or more of which has a succession of printed forms 11 preferably separated by lines of perforations 12 which, in addition to weakening the strips to permit one set of forms to be separated from the next adjacent, also designates the line of severance between the forms.

Located between each two adjacent strips 10 is a carbon or transfer strip 13 through the medium of which original writing (either by hand or by typewriting machine) performed on the top strip 10 is reproduced on the under strips 10. To facilitate the separation of one set of forms 11 from that following, the carbon strips 13 may also be provided with lines of perforations registering with the perforations 1-2 strips 10.

The pile of strips 10 and 13 may be folded back and forth zigzag fashion at form-length intervals or multiples thereof so as to produce a compact pack or book 14.

As stated, the strips 10 and 13 are held together by means provided for the purpose so that they maintain their registration and alignment both laterally and longitudinally. Instead of this means being a wire staple and being located on the lines of perforations 12 as was heretofore done, the present invention provides other means and locates the latter at some other portion of the form 11 for this purpose, and provides such means for each set of forms.

In the embodiment of the invention herein shown, this means comprises arow of stitching 15 in the worksheet located in the heading 16 of each set of the forms v 11 and substantially removed from the lines of perforations 12.

, In the broader aspects of the present invention, this stitching 15 may have any suitable form or be of any suitable style, but it is at present considered preferable to employ a chain stitch for the purpose. As shown in Fig. 2, the thread 17 of through the needle hole 19 and then advances over the surface of the top strip where it again enters the pile through a needle hole 19a forming another loop 18a. This loop 18a, however, passes through the loop 18 and locks the loop 18 in place against pulling out. On the back stretch of the loop 18a the thread rises through the needle hole 19a and again advances overthe surface of the top strip 10 to a point where it passes downwardly into the pile through a needle hole 19b forming a loop 18b locking the loop 18a against withdrawal. On the back stretch of the loop 18b the thread passes up through the needle hole 191; and there the thread has an end 20 lying on the surface or directly above the surface of the top strip 10. So long as the thread is held taut the stitching will remain in semi-locked condition, and this is the way it remains in the pile of strips holding the strips together against any unintentional movement relatively while work is being performed on the strips.

After one set of forms 11 have been written upon, they are severed from the next along the lines of perforations 12. This in no way affects the stitching because the latter is not located on the lines of perforations 12 but is offset therefrom. In thus collated condition, the forms 11 may conveniently receive further writing. operations, such as the filling-in of data or the receipting of a bill, for instance, and the underlying copies will have the writing appear in exactly the same place as on the uppermost or original copy.

when, however, it is desired to finally separate the strips 10 and 13 from each other to permit the distribution of the strips 10, the free end of pulled out of the needle hole 19b. The loop 18a being no longer locked is pulled out through the loop 18' passing through the needle hole 19a. This unlocks the loop 18 andpermits the retraction of the latter through the needle hole 19. Of

. course, by drawing the loops from theneedle holes, the thread 17 becomes entirely free from the strips and the strips become free of each other.

Other forms of stitching may, of course be employed, but with the unlocked lock stitch shown loopsas desired may make up the stitghing 15 and the stitching may be long or short, depending upon the kind of paper and the kind of thread used.

It should also be noted that in order that the user may know that the end 20 of the thread is the one to be pulled, the other end 21 is cut substantially shorter than the end 20.

By having the stitching. which secures the strips of the pile together of textile thread, as contemplated by the present invention in its preferred form, the thread may flex or bend with the bending movements of the pile of strips in passing around the typewriter platen, and further, should one of the threads inadvertently drop into the typewriting machine it will not be so likely to interfere with the proper functioning of the typewriter as would a wire, and this is especially true in an electric typewriter, where the wire may find its way to a position where it would short-circuit part of the electrical system of the typewriter.

Variations and modifications may be made within the scope of this invention and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and for which it is desired to obtain Letters Patent, is:--

1. A manifolding pile comprising a plurality of superposed continuous worksheet strips; a strip of transfer material between each two of said worksheet strips running with, and of the same length as, the latter; and a row of lockstitch stitches extending through the pile of strips for securing all of the strips of the pile together in registration.

2. A manifolding pile comprising a plurality of superposed continuous worksheet strips; a strip of transfer material between each two of said worksheet strips running with, and ot the being unlocked and having a loose thread at one end free to permit the thread to be pulled manually from the pile without tearing the strips when it is desired to separate the strips from each other.

3. A manifolding pile comprising a plurality of superposed continuous worksheet strips; a strip of transfer material between each two of said worksheet strips running with, and of the same length as, the latter; and a thread passing inancl-out through the strips of the pile for securing all of the strips of the pile together in registration, said thread being unlocked and having one end free and accessible to be manually grasped and pulled through said pile without tearing the strips of the pile when it is desired to separate the strips from each other.

ARTHUR A. JOHNSON. 

